Lords of the Old Republic
by Lord Darth Master
Summary: DMRevan, DFExile. Revan and the Exile both vanished at the height of power. Now, 4300 years later, the Sith have returned and are ready to wage war against the Jedi and the last of the Skywalker family.
1. Assault on the Jedi Order

**As many of you may have noticed, this site seems to have been flooded with light side female Revan fics lately. How long has it been since someone has posted a good old male Revan story? It's been awhile, but it's been even longer since I've seen a dark side male Revan story. Granted this story doesn't necessarily center around Revan, but you get the idea. **

**Also, for the sake of the formalities, I do not own Star Wars, Knights of the Old Republic I or II. This story is mine though. **

**Summary**

DMRevan, DFExile. Revan and the Exile both vanished at the height of power. Time went on. Now, two hundred and seventy years after the Battle of Yavin IV, the Sith have returned after learning the secrets of the eternal life. The descendants of the Skywalker family will lead the Jedi in the final war against the Sith Order.

**Lord of the Old Republic**

**Chapter I: Assault on the Jedi Order**

_In the year 3945 BBY the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Revan, was betrayed by his apprentice, Malak, and fell from power. Desperate to stop Malak, the Jedi concocted a plan to turn Revan to their side. Having erased most of his memories, the Jedi Council hoped that Revan could be saved and would lead them to Malak's source of power. Unfortunately, the darkness within Revan was too great to be purged and he betrayed the Jedi. Having regained enough of his power to seek revenge on Malak, Revan and his apprentice Bastila boarded an ancient space station known as the Star Forge where they single handedly eliminated all of Malak's forces. Revan and Malak faced each other in one final duel where Revan slew his former apprentice and reclaimed control of the Sith and the Star Forge. A year later, at the height of his power, Revan and the Star Forge vanished. His apprentice departed to find her master and was never heard of again. What happened to Revan, Bastila, and the Star Forge have been a mystery for more than four thousand years._

**269 ABY – Jedi Enclave – Dantooine**

Elaine Skywalker stepped out into the cool crisp morning air and inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet morning. She sighed as she looked out over the vast plains of Dantooine, seeing farmers in the fields with their tractors or dewbacks. It was early, only eight a.m. of the twenty-seven hour day but the farmers were already hard at work, preparing for the coming harvest. Soon the small town that had formed around the growing Jedi Enclave would be bustling with farmers and merchants and dealers, all trying to make an honest living.

Elaine's amethyst colored eyes could see the entire town from her room on the twelfth floor of the enclave. She enjoyed the view of the honest community that had been built around the guidance of the Jedi Council. In the years since its foundation, the town had a nearly zero percent crime rate. The jails inside of the enclave had been empty for nearly a century and this was all due to the careful teachings of the Jedi Order.

She turned around and walked into her small, well-furnished apartment. She shed the comfortable bath robe she had been wearing and dressed herself in a beige tunic with white leggings, and a brown cloak. She fastened her belt to her hip and clipped her lightsaber to it. Pulling her long silky hair back into a pony-tail that ended around her waist, Elaine walked to her computer. After keying in her password, the screen flashed and a digital image of seal of the Galactic Alliance appeared before her.

Instantly, a digital envelope appeared on the screen, which she tapped with her finger. It disappeared and was replaced by a memo from Master Jade Skywalker, her mother. She quickly scanned the contents and seeing that it was no more than a reminder that she was working the seminar later that day she deleted it.

After a quick breakfast of eggs and a somewhat foul tasting protein juice that the Jedi were required to drink, Elaine left her apartment and went down to the first floor, the study hall. It had been many years since Elaine had been required to spend time in the study hall, seeing as how only the most basic core learning material of the Jedi was located there, but it was refreshing to see young padawans eagerly looking over volumes of Jedi knowledge that had been reproduced for millennia.

"Elaine," a sharp voice spoke impatiently.

The Jedi Knight turned around to see her mother, Jade Skywalker, walking towards her. Jade Skywalker was an older woman, nearing sixty years of age, though she looked about thirty-five. Her only slightly gray hair was pulled into a tight bun and her grand robes were neatly pressed and straightened. Her worn face bore a hard expression towards her daughter and her cerulean eyes held an expectant look.

Despite the icy tone she wore, Elaine saw right through mother's façade. She smiled warmly at her mother and nodded. "Yes?" she asked politely.

"Are you and Rouge ready for this morning?" Jade asked.

Elaine nodded again at her mother. "Rouge has gone into the town to buy a few things for the celebration tomorrow night, but she'll be back in time. If she's not, Jacen will cover for her."

Jade's lip curled when she heard this and she bit her lip to keep from snapping. "Is he ready for this?" her mother asked. "This is a rather dangerous demonstration."

"Jacen is nearly as skilled as Rouge and I. He is more than ready."

"Very well," Jade replied with a shrug. "I expect you both in the coliseum in half an hour."

"We will be there," she assured her mother. "Now stop worrying."

Jade sighed and turned away without a word. Elaine shook her head and smiled. Her mother could be a bother at times, not that she could blame her. After what had happened to her father, Han Skywalker, it's no surprise that Jade was a bit apprehensive when it came to her daughters using lightsabers. Han Skywalker had been killed in a ceremonial lightsaber duel four years previously. It had been a grievous tragedy and the Jedi who had killed him left the order in shame. It wasn't until later that they learned that the catwalk Han had been walking on had been sabotaged, but by then it was too late. The Jedi was gone and no one had heard from him since.

Elaine had always enjoyed ceremonial duels or demonstrations, but her mother had been weary of them since her father's death. As she made her way towards the coliseum, the young Jedi considered things. She wasn't concerned that she could be hurt today in the duel. The padawans who had chosen the path of the Jedi guardian had built their first training sabers and now needed to be educated in the ways of saber combat and construction. She and her sister, Rouge Skywalker, would go over the eight forms of saber combat and there would be a practice duel between the two of them.

She was actually looking forward to the seminar. She and Rouge had been named the greatest swordswomen in the Jedi Order and it had been quite some time since they had tested their skills against one another. It was a rare treat to face an opponent whose skills even came near her own. Anticipation surged through her as she entered the Jedi Coliseum. The padawans were already beginning to arrive and were being seated inside of the actual arena.

The coliseum itself was a giant structure just behind the Jedi Enclave. There were huge statues circling the arena, which was filled in with well groomed grass. The statues were of various Jedi who had served the New Order since its inception. At the highest point of the coliseum, where the Jedi Council would sit with a cover over their heads, was the statue of Grand Master Luke Skywalker, Elaine's ancestor and founder of the New Jedi Order. Colored marble statues of other great Jedi, such as Mara Jade Skywalker, Ben Skywalker, Jaina Solo, Yoda Tokare, Mace Windu, and Obi-Wan Kenobi were spread out. Each stood in his or her chosen lightsaber form stance, making a total of seven statues to display the main seven stances.

Elaine walked up to the gathering padawans and smiled. They all looked to be about twelve years of age or so and very well disciplined. They all sat with their legs crossed and their hands folded in their laps, attention of their master; a cerean female named Li-Nomi Sundi. Sundi turned and shook Elaine's hand fondly.

"Rouge returned a short while ago," Sundi informed her. She nodded her large head towards the opposite end of the coliseum. Elaine turned and saw her sister coming towards her, along with their cousin, Jacen Solo II, great, great, great grandson of Jacen Solo, the redeemed son of Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo. Jacen was a twenty-three year old Jedi, born and raised on Ossus with his parents, Kie and Jordon Solo. He was tall, standing at approximately two meters with scruffy brown hair and deep blue eyes. He was dressed in a black tunic with matching leggings, and a silver cylindrical weapon hung from his dewback skin belt, along with a blaster pistol. Rouge, on the other hand, was not wearing Jedi robes. She had changed into a pair of tight fit pants and a low cut white t-shirt that left her mid-drift exposed. She had pulled her red-brown hair into a messy pony-tail and was holding her lightsaber in her hand.

Elaine went to greet her sister and cousin. They smiled at her fondly and embraced. "It's good to see you, Jacen. Where have you been?" she asked warmly.

"Ossus," he replied. "Master Skywalker and father have had a lot on their hands recently."

"How is Uncle Jordan?" Elaine asked.

"Busy," Jacen replied. "The Alliance has been urging the Jedi to return to Coruscant, but Master Skywalker and my father seem to be vehemently against the idea."

"We can discuss this later," Rouge interjected. "I believe that they are about to start."

Elaine and Jacen turned and saw Master Sundi gesturing for them to come over. The children looked up at them with bright faces, each one attentive to what they had to say.

"You have all chosen the way of the lightsaber," Sundi said to the children. "These two Jedi happen to be the most skilled swordswomen in the galaxy. I want you to give them your complete attention."

"Yes Master Sundi," they all chanted obediently.

"I present, Jedi Knights Elaine Skywalker and Rouge Skywalker."

The two girls stepped up to the children, while Jacen took his place behind them as an observer. "Good morning," Elaine said pleasantly. "How are all of you?"

"Good," they responded dully.

"You all have lightsabers, don't you?" Rouge asked.

"Yes," they all said as they pulled them out and held them up.

"I'm sure you've all heard from Master Sundi that your lightsaber is a tool, not a toy. It's a symbol for the Jedi Order and it is not to be taken lightly," Elaine said seriously.

"Yes," they all droned.

"Well your lightsaber is also a weapon, and like any weapon, you need to know how to use it properly," the younger sister said. "That's why we are here. There are eight forms of combat that can be used to wield a lightsaber. Knight Skywalker will demonstrate as I explain each one."

Rouge ignited her lightsaber and received several "oohs" and "ahhhs" from the children. Rouge's electrum coated hilt produced a deep violet colored blade that hummed gently in the morning air.

"Shi-Cho-,"

Elaine stopped abruptly and looked around. She could vaguely hear something, like a humming sound. She looked around, but couldn't see anything. Upon further inspection, she saw that the grass right behind Master Sundi was pressed down, as if someone were standing on it.

"Look out!" she cried as she dove towards Sundi. It was too late. The Jedi Master's attacker struck, deactivating the stealth field around it. Sundi inhaled sharply as the stinging pain struck her, severing her spinal column. The Jedi Master collapsed to the ground. Her attacker wasted no time in attacking again, severing her oblong head from her shoulders.

Elaine extended her hand and used the Force to send out a wave of static electricity, disrupting all stealth fields. Suddenly, twelve assassins were revealed, each carrying a vibroblade of some sort. There were four human males, three transdoshans, a rodian, two twi'leks, and two zabraks, plus the human who had killed Master Sundi. All of them were dressed in black armored suits that were armed with vibrodaggers and assassin pistols.

"Jacen, watch the padawans!" Rouge ordered.

Elaine ignited her cerulean colored lightsaber and moved to position herself next to Rouge. They both fell into the Vorskr Form stance, back to back. Jacen leapt in front of the kids, drawing his emerald colored lightsaber. He fell into the Juyo stance and brandished his weapon at the approaching zabraks.

"All of you drop your lightsabers!" one of the humans ordered. "None of you need to die."

"Yeah right," Jacen snarled.

"We only want the children," a twi'lek said in Basic.

"Not happening," Rouge barked.

She leapt at a nearby transdoshan who held a double-sided vibroblade and swung it at Rouge. The mercenary swung his weapon, cutting a large gash into her on coming face across the bridge of her nose. Rouge grunted as she fell to her knees. The three transdoshans circled around her, weapons raised. Rouge reached into the Force and threw it at one of them. The transdoshan didn't seem in the least bit affected by her attack.

"All of us have been trained to resist your Force powers, Jedi!" one of the humans sneered.

"Rouge?" Elaine called.

"I'm fine," she said as she stood up.

"Jacen, get the kids out of here!"

"Don't try it!" a human shouted, blocking the way out of the coliseum.

"Forget this. Kill the Jedi! Take the children!" someone ordered.

This was enough for group of attackers. They all jumped on the three Jedi, beginning the duel.

Now, Vapaad is a very difficult lightsaber form to utilize and it's even harder to master. Many Jedi consider the potential dark side effects it has on the mind to be too great a risk to take, while others consider it a small risk to take for the overwhelming power it grants the user. One Jedi using the Form of the Vornskr is said to have the ability to take on an entire army single handedly.

Granted, that idea was a bit of a stretch, but it definitely gave the user a distinct advantage. Elaine and Rouge were each holding their own against four thugs each. The Force enhanced speed augments they used gave them each the ability to deflect the attacks from all four attackers, but they had little time to throw back an attack of their own. Unfortunately, Jacen was a younger knight and not as well trained in the form as the other two and was having trouble holding off his four. The two transdoshans and two twi'leks that were attacking him seemed to have a distinct advantage.

Elaine quickly noticed this and vaulted over her foes, towards her cousin. She swung at one of the transdoshans. The alien brought its double-vibroblade up to block the saber. The alien was moving faster than Elaine had thought possible. She had never heard of a transdoshan Force-user, but these assassins all seemed to display characteristics of a trained Force sensitive.

Rouge and Jacen both were forced to retreat. The eight attackers who had been after them pursued quickly. Elaine was too tied up with her attackers to follow. Though she was the most skilled of the three Jedi, Elaine couldn't shake her attackers. She had to move fast to avoid them. The transdoshans, being natural killers, were by far the most deadly of her four attackers. Even her mastery of Vapaad couldn't penetrate their defenses.

Suddenly, two of her attackers broke away, one of them being a transdoshan. It had been a big mistake. With only two blades surrounding her, she leapt over her attacker, spun around to face him, and drove her shimmering blue blade through his chest, cutting clean through the spine. The transdoshan who remained hesitated for a moment, which cost him his life. The Jedi Knight pressed her advantage by going in for a decapitating swing. The alien reacted too slow to completely deflect the attack. His sword redirected it so the attack went lower, cutting his arm off from the bicep down. The guttural alien cry pierced the air, causing the Jedi to cringe. The alien dropped his sword and collapsed to his knees.

Elaine knew she couldn't kill him now. It went against her code as a Jedi and as a Skywalker. She settled with delivering a bone crunching kick to his nose. The alien's screams subsided as he lost consciousness. She turned around to see where her other two attackers had gone.

"The padawans!" she cried to Jacen and Rouge.

The two Jedi were backed into a corner, fending off eight assassins on their own. The battle was difficult and they had no way of gaining the upper hand. Meanwhile, the twi'lek and transdoshan who had gone after the children were now threatening them all with their swords. They were young and none of them had any significant training with a lightsaber. All of them were weak in the Force and couldn't hope to overpower these trained assassins.

The twi'lek said something to the transdoshan, who turned to see Elaine coming at him. Before she knew what had happened, the assassin drew a small pistol from his thigh holster and fired a single shot. Elaine hadn't even perceived the attack until it was too late. She moved her saber to deflect, but it was too late. The blaster bolt struck her clean in the stomach, a few inches to the right of her naval. The Jedi gasped as the sudden pain bit into her and her eyes went wide. The attack stopped her charge instantly and she stood still, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"Elaine!" Rouge screamed from behind the swarm of enemies attacking her.

Elaine slowly began lose her focus on her surroundings. Her head began to spin and her eyes went dim. She could vaguely hear the padawans screaming ahead of her and their desperate cries for help. She tried to go for them, but her legs buckled beneath her and she slammed down into the ground. The Jedi lost consciousness soon afterwards.

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Jade Skywalker led twelve Jedi into the coliseum, each one with a lightsaber in hand. The coliseum had been hit too. She could see bodies littering the ground, though she couldn't tell which of them were dead. "Check them all!" she instructed. "Find my daughters!"

The Jedi began going from body to body, looking for any signs of life. Jade walked up to a transdoshan whose arm had been severed. Judging by the way the wound had been sealed it could only assume it had been a lightsaber cut. She looked at the creature with disgust. Its chest still rose and fell with ragged breaths and it still twitched in pain from its wound.

"This one's alive," she declared. "Knights Katarn and Korr, take it to the medical bay."

"Yes ma'am," they both replied as the two male Jedi ran up to the fallen assassin.

"Master Skywalker!" A Cathar Jedi Knight named Romani cried. Jade looked over at the young alien girl and saw that she was kneeling over Elaine.

"Is she alright?" the worried mother cried as she ran to her daughter.

"She's been shot," Romani reported. "She needs immediate care."

"Romani, call for a medical team to report to this location at once!" the Jedi Master ordered.

"Yes Master," the Cathar replied.

Jade fell down to her knees and propped her daughter up in her arms. She could see the blackened area of her daughter's robes where the blaster shot had struck her. She placed her hand over the wound and closed her eyes. The wound was too deep to be healed completely through the Force, but she might be able to alleviate the pain and rouse her daughter to consciousness.

Her efforts were in vain, however. Jade Skywalker was a swordswoman, like her two daughters and her late husband. She hadn't dedicated her training to the healing arts and she could barely heal a padawan with a scraped knee. A wound this severe would require the attention of a Jedi healer with skills far beyond her own.

Within a few minutes, a medical transport entered the coliseum and stopped beside Jade. Two men quickly hopped out and ran towards the fallen Jedi. "Is this her?" one of them asked Jade.

"Yes," she replied. "This is my daughter."

"Stand back, Master Jedi. We need to work," he told her. Jade set her daughter down gently and backed away. The two field surgeons quickly transferred her onto a stretcher and loaded her into the transport. "She'll be in the hospital inside of the enclave," the medic told her.

"Thank you."

With that, the two medics got back into their seats and the transport sped off, sirens waling. Jade clenched her fists angrily. Romani came back up to her and bowed. "I apologize to disturb you during this time, Master Skywalker, but we have completed our assessment. The padawans that were with Knights Skywalker and Knight Solo are gone, as well as all of the padawans in the enclave. Twenty-three of the assassins were killed in the attack. The only survivor was the transdoshan. It has been taken for medical treatment."

"How many Jedi were killed or injured?" the Jedi Master inquired.

"So far, fourty-seven Jedi Knights have been confirmed dead. Twenty-six more are being treated for serious injuries."

"What of Rouge and Knight Solo?" she asked.

"They still have not been found," Romani replied. She was hesitant to respond, but did after a moment. "It is likely that they have been captured."

"Master Skywalker!" Jade looked over to see Knight Liandra Korr entering the coliseum. The young girl ran up to the Jedi Master and bowed. "Master Skywalker, the grand masters have sent a message. You are to contact them immediately."

"Thank you, Knight Korr. I will see to it immediately.

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Jade Skywalker could not help but think of what her brother, Liam Skywalker, had told her as she sat in her daughter's hospital room. Across the galaxy, all twenty-two Jedi bases had been attacked. More than a thousand Jedi padawans had been captured and nearly four hundred Jedi were reported dead. She couldn't believe it. Ossus, Coruscant, Correlia, the rebuilt Yavin Praxeum; they had all been attacked. Someone had assaulted the Jedi Order itself.

Who could have done it? Attacking one Jedi stronghold would have been difficult, but to coordinate twenty-two separate attacks on twenty-two separate worlds would require the mind of a military genius – not to mention a great deal of credits and soldiers. The assassins had not been ordinary hired guns either. Jade had killed one of them, but it had been considerably more difficult than she had expected. They had all been Force sensitive, but they clearly weren't trained in the Jedi arts. The Force had been used as a way to make them faster and stronger, but it hadn't been their weapon.

All of this occupied the Jedi Master's mind as she watched her daughter float in a bacta tank. The sight pained her to see. During her battle with the assassins, Elaine had sustained several superficial cuts and bruises, but the hole in her stomach from the blaster was a different matter. It had been life threatening. Elaine had already been inside of the bacta tank for nearly four hours. Even after so much time had passed, the girl still showed no signs of waking up.

Even though the Jedi healers had saved Elaine's life, the wound may have done more damage than they had believed at first. The blaster bolt hadn't been normal. It hadn't run on plasma, like most common blasters. The Jedi who had inspected Elaine couldn't figure out what sort of blaster had been used. All they knew was that the blaster bolt had leaked radiation. It was quite possible that Elaine had received some sort of radiation poisoning.

The door slid in and a zabrak woman came into the room. She was a Jedi apprentice named Por-Tan. Her robes were somewhat tattered and she was bleeding slightly from her temple. "Master Skywalker?" she said uncertainly. Jade looked up at her and held out a datapad for her.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Summons, ma'am," Por-Tan replied. "The Grand Masters have all been called to Coruscant."

Jade took the datapad and scanned it quickly. Indeed, the Senate had voted for the Jedi Masters to come to Coruscant for immediate consultation. Jade shook her head. "Send word to Master Liam Skywalker on Ossus. I will not be attending. The enclave needs me more than the Senate does right now."

The zabrak girl looked shocked. She opened her mouth to contradict the Jedi Master, but thought better of it and nodded. "Yes ma'am." The door slid open again and another Jedi, a kel-dor named Quansh, entered the room. He bowed before the Grand Jedi Master.

"Master Skywalker," he said respectfully. "The assassin is awake."

Jade looked up and her eyes hardened. "Thank you Knight Quansh. Apprentice Por-Tan, contact Ossus immediately."

"Yes ma'am," the zabrak girl said with a bow.

Jade Skywalker stood up and left the room, leaving Quansh and Por-Tan alone. Both the kel-dor and the zabrak turned to face the bacta tank that their friend was floating in. "Elaine," Por-Tan said as she walked up to the tank.

"Were you harmed in the attack?" Quansh asked in his native language.

The zabrak nodded. "It's nothing serious; just a plasma burn on my back." She paused for a moment before turning back. "I heard about your mate. How is she?"

The kel-dor shook his head. "She didn't make it," he replied sadly. "The vibroblade nicked her artery. The healers didn't get to her in time. She bled out."

Por-Tan nodded and turned to embrace her friend. "I'm sorry my friend. She was a strong woman."

"Thank you," he said distantly. "I must go."


	2. Korriban

**Lords of the Old Republic**

**Chapter II: Korriban**

_In the year 3940, after returning to known space, a fallen Jedi Knight named Mina Takhisis sought to find her former lover: Darth Revan. After killing Revan's former master, Darth Traya, Mina departed beyond the known regions of space again, searching for any traces of a mysterious "Forge" she had heard reference to on the Sith world of Korriban. Several months after her departure, one lone member of her crew returned: a Sith Assassin name Atton Jaq Rand. Before dying on Coruscant, he raved in a fevered sleep about finding darkness and true power. It has been speculated that Mina Takhisis may have found the Star Forge and Darth Revan, though these theories have never been proven or disproved. Mina Takhisis was never heard from again. _

**269 ABY – Outer Rim – Heavy Class Independent Space Station **_**Striker**_

In the year 196 ABY, the Galactic Alliance felt the rifts of a civil war. The Senate was divided and the politicians who led the Alliance all fought to hinder one another. This was, now known as the War of Independence, was a result of fear. The Supreme Chancellor had imposed a strict tax on the mid and outer rims, forcing them to send nearly triple the amount of credits to Coruscant annually than the inner planets or the core worlds. Several systems attempted to secede from the Alliance and in the end, they succeeded. Thirteen planets escaped the unjust taxation of the government and became thirteen individual governments.

As the years had gone on the Independent systems had slowly begun to rejoin the Alliance. Now only three systems were still separate; Tatooine, a remote desert world that the Alliance had little interest in, and Nar Shadda.

During the Yuuzhan Vong War, the former Smuggler's Moon had been destroyed. Billions died and much of the urban planet was laid to waste. Shortly after the war, it was terraformed by the Vong to make it a more natural world. The next two hundred and fifty years slowly saw the Vong's efforts go to waste. Major corporations retook the planet and began to build over the natural terrain the Vong had spawned. In short, the planet looked exactly the same as it had nearly four thousand years previously. Most of the legitimate corporations had been driven out by companies such as Czerka or Ordan or the re-established crime syndicate – The Exchange.

There had been few wars since the initial separation. Therefore it wasn't a refugee infested moon anymore, though it was still grossly over populated and practically synonymous with crime. Mercenaries pretty much ran the planet, oppressing those who attempted to rise up against them. The Jedi and the Alliance had no jurisdiction on Nar Shadda and most of the people had little hope that they would ever be free from the bonds of near enslavement.

The last planet that was free had done considerably well for itself: Zanju V. The planet was a city based planet, covered with buildings that went miles high. Some of the most powerful and wealthy people in the galaxy lived there, along with some of the most powerful and well known crime lords.

The _Striker _was a full operational orbital defense station that was used as the first line of defense against attack against Zanju V. The station had been built using the most up to date technology in the galaxy. One shot from the _Striker _could cut clean through an Alliance Heavy Cruiser, splitting it in half.

The _Striker _was run by Sergeant Major Clen, a man who had served with Zanju V's military since he was eighteen years old. The Sergeant Major had seen his fair share of battle and had been awarded numerous metals and honors for his prowess in combat and military genius. He was a hardened soldier. His face was rugged and worn from years of pressure and stress. His hair was beginning to gray and his face was rarely without an accompanying stubble. His once blue eyes had been damaged on a mission to aid an Alliance cruiser through a nest of space beasts. One of the breasts had slammed the antique Star Destroyer it had re-commissioned into his Independent Heavy Cruiser. The Sergeant Major had been buried beneath a cylinder of flash grenades, which had broken open and unleashed a brilliant light throughout the room. He had been unharmed, except for the damage to his eyes. They had been replaced with ocular implants that gave him near perfect vision, though the implants stood out. The unusual gray color made them strange for a human.

Clen now sat alone in his office with one other person; a man named Aurico. Aurico was a strong young man, nearly twenty-five years old. He had been born on Zanju, but had left with his father at the age of twelve. Since then he and his father had scoured the galaxy as explores, going passed the outer rim to chart out new solar systems and map out new, unexplored planets. He had learned much in his travels. He had stayed on many planets for several months and had learned of most species in the galaxy. He could speak nearly twenty-seven alien languages fluently and was studying a few beyond that.

Lastly, he was proficient in numerous forms of combat. The Jedi had discovered him to be a Force sensitive when he was very young, though he had been older than most regular students. An old Jedi woman he had met in his travels had taught him the ways of the Force. Since then he had polished his own skills to become a Force wielder outside of the Jedi Order. Combining his Jedi powers with his numerous combat trainings, Aurico was a deadly fighter.

He ran a hand through his dark brown hair and looked at the Sergeant Major seriously. Clen now held a datapad in his hand, which he was reading very carefully. He would look up at Aurico every couple of lines as if to check to see if the explorer was joking. He was met by a serious gaze and an affirming nod each time. The contents of the datapad disturbed him greatly. He had heard rumors that the Jedi Order had been attacked, but he hadn't realized how serious it was or that this threat may also have been directed at the Independent systems.

Nearly four hundred Jedi Knights had been killed across the galaxy and over one thousand Jedi children had been reported captured. Twenty-eight Jedi Knights were still unaccounted for and it was suspected that they too had been captured along with the children. The Jedi stronghold on Korriban had been completely eradicated. There were no survivors and inspection crews had come up empty handed.

Aurico had noticed some rather strange things about the inspection of the Korriban Jedi enclave. The Dreshdae security force that had run the inspection had left numerous holes in their reports. None of the dead Jedi were named and none of the missing Jedi had been recorded. Coruscant had been forced to step in to force a more thorough survey of the scene. By that time, the Korriban security had already disposed of all the bodies, claiming that they had served their purpose and should be put to rest.

"What do you make of the situation?" the explorer asked.

"I believe you're right. I believe Korriban is hiding something," the Sergeant Major replied.

"Obviously," Aurico snorted. "I meant what do you plan to do?"

"What do I plan to do?" Clen repeated.

"Yes," the explorer replied. "The Senate can't be trusted to act on its own. The Independence must act for itself!"

"Korriban is an Alliance world. Even if I were to send a ship, they wouldn't make it passed the orbital defense grid. They'd be turned away instantly."

"Not necessarily," Aurico replied as took the datapad the Sergeant Major was holding. He pressed a button, changing the contents of the screen. Clen was now looking at a picture of a woman dressed in sea green Jedi robes. Her amethyst colored eyes seemed to be piecing the camera that took the image. She seemed very confident of herself and her arms were folded to emphasize the point. "This is Laurana Kaladon, Grand Jedi Master of Coruscant. I have spoken with her and she has already come up with a plan. One ship will be sent with to Korriban to scout the academy. They will use the story that they are there to begin preparing to repopulate the academy," he explained.

"An interesting plan, but what do you want from the independence?"

"Men," Aurico replied. "The Senate refuses to help the Jedi. They need the Independence."

"Then why haven't the Jedi come to me with this proposition?" the Sergeant Major asked. "And why come to me, for that matter? Why not go to the Parliament down on the surface?"

"You're this planet's military leader, Sergeant Major," the explorer replied. "I don't need to put up with the delays that inevitably come with all politicians."

Clen gave a dry chuckle and a curt nod. "That's true," he agreed. "I have an extra Specter Class Freighter that I can spare. It's has a prototype hyperdrive, so I'll require that you take a tech specialist with you to keep a close observation it. I will provide you with twelve soldiers and eight scouts, along with a skeleton crew. You may take care of your own business while there and my men will assist you, but Commander Throust is the officer in charge of this mission. If things go south, he will pull out, regardless of what you do."

Aurico smiled and nodded back at the Sergeant Major. "Thank you, Sir," he said with a grateful nod.

"It will take nearly fourteen hours to complete all preparations," the Sergeant Major explained.

"I'll be ready," Aurico replied.

"You better. This is your idea."

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He was nothing more than a janitor to them. He wasn't a soldier. He had fought in no battles. He wasn't a technician. Machines didn't interest him, nor did the prospect of flying a ship. He had little talent in their eyes. In fact, they probably wouldn't have noticed if he simply vanished.

This was their mistake. The human male had overheard everything that had been said between the Sergeant Major and his guest while he was mopping the floor outside of the office. What he had heard had disturbed him. His master wasn't expecting the blame to turn to Korriban so quickly. If the Jedi did send a search party, their cover could be blown.

More than four thousand years of work and effort had been put into this plan. He had not wasted so much time just to see it all die. He needed to act quickly. This Jedi, Kaladon, needed to be taken care of immediately. His partners on Coruscant could tend to that. As for this explorer and the Sergeant Major, they would need to be dealt with and there was no one else to do the job.

The janitor reached into his pocket and produced a small comm. link that worked on a secure channel. He activated it and slipped the small device into his ear. It would look like a hearing aid to anyone who saw him, but in truth it would record everything he heard or said and send it back home.

"There's a problem," he muttered. "They're sending a ship your way."

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"Let them," she muttered back. The janitor aboard the _Striker _couldn't hear her. She had spoken more out of confidence than to relay an order. She turned to the zabrak that sat at the computer that had picked up the janitor's message. "Send orders back. He is to continue as before. Take no action."

"Yes General," the zabrak replied as he keyed in the orders.

The woman had a sickly sort of beauty to her. Her form was very petite and her skin tight clothing did little to hide it. She was very slender and moved with elegance. Her hair was black as sin and her eyes were acid yellow. Her skin tone was very pale. Every vein in her arms was a clear blue line beneath the thin exterior. She wore black skin tight armor that left her arms exposed and didn't really do too much to protect her neckline. Her black hair fell around her shoulders in a mass of curls. She wore a communication device on her wrist, but that was her only accessory.

This woman's name was Mina Takhisis. In her day, she was known as the Jedi Exile. She had defied the Jedi Council of the Old Republic and went to war with the Mandalorians who were conquering Republic space. During the war she had learned of pleasures that no true Jedi could ever understand. She learned the thrill of battle during the war. She learned to love the challenge of conflict and she learned to love the sight of victory. The adrenaline she felt when she cut down her enemies became her addiction. It was a drug she could not live without anymore.

Her exile from the Jedi Order had been no real shock. Only five of the twelve Jedi Councilors had been present at her sentencing, but they had all seen a change. Her own former master, Atris, had been terrified in the woman she had seen that day. She had practically raised the girl. Atris had always taught Mina to be polite and respectful. Her body was an instrument of the Force. It was meant to be kept pure. Mina had come back from the war a changed woman.

She had become a hardened soldier. Had her connection from the Force still been intact at the time, she wouldn't have become an exile. She would have continued to follow Revan and Malak. She would have been placed in charge of the Trayus Academy instead of Traya. In short, she would have become the second most powerful Sith in the history of time.

Instead she had been weak. Her powers had been taken from her. She had been forced to receive a brief period of satisfaction in corrupting the Jedi Master's faith in their order. How could a woman who had once been the epitome of what they stood for go so wrong? Her mannerism that day had come as a complete shock to all of them. She had been snide and sarcastic. She had spoken of the thrill of combat and her love of murder. She had spoken giddily of the numerous men who had occupied her bed during the wars. Most of all, she spoke of power.

That's what she had now. Mina Takhisis was now ranked as the second most powerful organic being in the galaxy. For more than four thousand years she had built up her forces and sought out every object of Jedi or Sith history imaginable. Her forces had explored countless world throughout the Unknown Regions. She had conquered almost all of them in the name of the Sith. Each conquest brought her more bloodshed, more power, and more recruits.

Her name was revered throughout unknown space. All of the Sith Lords' were. They had become the rulers of the galaxy. All that remained now was the Galactic Alliance.

The Sith had considered invading Republic Space at several points during the last four millennia. Each time there had been a distraction that wasn't worth facing. Time wasn't an issue. The Sith had discovered the secrets of eternal life. All they had to do was wait. Mina had often considered disobeying orders and invading. She had been so eager to face the self proclaimed "Sith Lords" of the last four thousand years. Darth Vader would have been a worthy opponent. Darth Krayt and his followers could have been worth it. The Jedi who killed these false Sith would have been powerful adversaries as well. The original Skywalker family had radiated Force energy. Mina had felt it from thousands of light years away.

She mourned the loss of such a chance, but now she realized that it had been a wise choice. Had they revealed themselves early, the Alliance would have been prepared. The war that would soon lay waste to the Alliance would begin soon and the galaxy's prime example of peace and prosperity would burn.

"Iridonian," said Mina. "Where is my apprentice?"

The zabrak quickly scanned his computers and nodded. "She is in the valley, General," said the alien. "Dueling."

"What is she doing out there?" Mina thundered as she turned away and stalked out of the room.

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Nearly eight hundred years after the Sith Civil War, Mina Takhisis had selected an apprentice. It had been on a desolate world near the outer rim. There had only been one village on the planet and every single member had been a Force sensitive. Tests had concluded that the entire species was strong in the Force and traditionally, non-Force sensitive children were considered abominations.

The people of the village had no formal training and the planet had not evolved passed the bow and arrow stage. She had burned the village without thought. Only one young woman had survived. She couldn't have been more than fourteen, but already she had been with child. Mina had found her lying in the streets. A rock had been imbedded in her stomach. The child she had carried had already died. One look at Mina had caused something inside of her to burst. The Sith Lord had felt the seething hate and Force energies radiating off of this woman. Mina had used the Force to save the woman's life, but it probably would have been better if she hadn't. Mina had taken the woman back to her ship and tortured her for weeks. She had begged for death, but the Jedi Exile's cruelty would not allow it. Mina had preserved a flicker of her life and nursed that back to health each time.

The weeks of endless pain hadn't driven her insane as it would have done for most. No, this woman had used it to find clarity. She quickly learned to draw energies from the Force. She hated Mina. Time slowly molded her into a cold killer. Mina began to torture her in a new way. She had prodded her into fighting and each time the girl had become stronger and stronger.

Now, years later, Mina's apprentice had come to depend on Mina as much as she hated her. Only three things gave this woman's life meaning: pain, violence, and power. Her name was Kit Tara. This wasn't her real name. She had long since forgotten it. This was the name Mina had bestowed upon her once she had completed the Trials of the Sith.

Kit was a slender woman, though she was still larger than Mina. She wore black armor enforced robes with liquisteel gauntlets. There was no cloak, leaving all of her weapons and devices in pain sight. Several gadgets ran up her arms, including a missile launcher, assassination pistol, arm blades, and communications device. Her wavy chocolate colored hair cascaded behind her, a few inches longer than Mina's.

Kit was facing a single opponent in the Sith Battle Circle. The Sith student, nearly two thousand years of experience under his belt, charged at her. His blood colored lightsaber was raised high. Kit brought up her arm to block the on coming sweep. The blade landed on her arm blade. Despite his superior size, the Sith student couldn't overpower her. The blade would not proceed any further.

Kit brought up her leg and kicked her opponent in the stomach. He coughed and sputtered as he fell back. Kit stepped forward and grabbed his arm. She began to kick him in the stomach repeatedly, until she flipped him through the air and let him slam on the barren ground. She stepped over his twitching form and reached down, sliding her fingers around his head. She grunted slightly and she snapped his neck. All of the Sith around her shuddered slightly at the sound.

The Sith Lady dropped the man onto the ground and stepped away. She stood up straight, letting all of the Sith see her confidence. Her very stance radiated it. None of the Sith there would dare to defy her. The student she had killed had been unlucky. She had selected him randomly from the group. He had known he wouldn't survive the second she had pointed to him.

"Kit."

The Sith Lady turned around and saw her master coming towards her. Mina seemed to be in a sour mood, though this was not uncommon. All of the students around Kit dropped to their knees before the Dark Lady. Kit however remained standing. It had been centuries since she had shown any sort of awe towards Mina. As far as she was concerned, Mina had taught her everything she could. Kit deserved her own forces. She deserved to be proclaimed one of the Sith Lords.

"Kit, you were supposed to be ready to leave for Coruscant over an hour ago!" The Dark Lady roared.

"I am ready," Kit snarled back.

"Then why haven't you left?" Mina demanded.

"I'm going to be stuck in the damn star fighter for nearly eighty hours! I want to stretch my legs before I cram myself in there."

"What you want is not my concern," Mina snarled. "Go now!"

"Master." Mina spun around. One of the Sith from the crowd had stood up and was facing her. She was wearing red and black leather robes. A red veil covered most of her face, but what was visible of her skin was very pale. "It is my fault. She cannot leave until I have finished repairing her armor."

Mina looked at the woman she had known for so long. Visas Marr had been one of Mina's original students, over four thousand years ago. For reasons Mina did not fully understand, Visas was very protective of Kit. Mina saw the lie in Visas's story, but it didn't matter to her. Her need to inflict pain could be satisfied with either of them.

"Finish it them!" Mina screeched as she flung a wave of Force lightning at the Miraluka. The Sith apprentice had not been prepared for such an attack and was thrown through the air. She smashed into one of the Sith obelisks that had stood since the days of Marka Ragnos. Visas grunted as she slammed onto the ground and whimpered in pain. Kit stepped forward and blocked Mina from attacking Visas again.

"Enough. She's no use to me dead!" the apprentice snarled.

"All of you," said the Dark Lady. "Get back to work." All of the Sith murmured as they dispersed leaving the Dark Lady and the Sith Lady facing each other. "I don't know why that Miraluka protects you, Kit, but be warned. I will destroy both you and her if it is necessary. I've waited over four millennia for this! I will not let you ruin it!"

With strength that seemed impossible for such a small person, Mina back handed her apprentice, flinging her to the ground. "Get Visas back on her feet and get to Coruscant."

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The door to Visas's quarters slid open and the two Sith women entered. The door slid shut behind them and Kit keyed in the code to lock it. The Sith Lady had to support Visas as they walked. Mina had done a number on Visas this time. The Miraluka was in a considerable amount of pain and it was likely that she had fractured her shoulder. She knew at the very least that it was dislocated.

Kit dropped Visas onto her bed. The Miraluka did not say anything, but sat quietly as the Sith Lady looked at her arm. She felt the power of the Force running through her shoulder as Kit began to draw the bone back together.

"Thank you," was all Visas said when Kit was done.

"Are you alright?" asked Kit.

"I will be," replied the Miraluka.

Kit put her hand on Visas's shoulder and sighed. The two rested their foreheads against one another. The Sith Lady pulled the veil away from the other apprentice's head. Visas had a beautiful face, despite how pale it was. The Miraluka's black hair was soft as silk. It was a little shorter than shoulder length. Her eyes were closed, as they always were. Kit had never seen the Miraluka's eyes open. She had asked her to open them once. Visas had been unable to. She simply could not remember how. Her eyes were worthless to her now.

Kit leaned forward and kissed Visas softly on the lips in an act of comfort. "Do not worry, my love," she said to the Miraluka. "We'll be free soon."

"I know," Visas replied.

Visas wrapped her arms around Kit's waist, while Kit locked her arms around the Miraluka's neck. They shared a close passionate kiss with one another. Visas moaned softly in pleasure as she fell backwards onto her bed, pulling Kit on top of her.

Well, maybe there was one other thing that gave meaning to Kit Tara's life…


	3. The Desire to be Free

**Lords of the Old Republic**

**Chapter III: The Desire to be Free**

_In the year 3945 BBY, the Dark Lord Revan was captured by the Jedi Order. For some time, the deposed Sith Lord was held in captivity while the Jedi deliberated on a course of action. Eventually, it was decided that Revan would be subject to a memory wipe and his mind would be reprogrammed with a new identity. However, Revan's already damaged mind had begun to repair itself and the new identity was placed over his old one. In time, memories of his old life resurfaced and Darth Revan was born again. One of Revan's companions, a pilot who had served on the front lines of the war effort, managed to escape and start a resistance effort until the day when the Dark Lord disappeared. The resistance movement never truly believed that the threat was gone and went into hiding. Many have tried to uncover their secrets, though none have. _

**269 ABY – Korriban – Jedi Academy**

Mina Takhisis was smiled a pair of strong arms wrap around her stomach and pull her into the body behind her. Her own arms fell over those of her lover as she looked down at the woman who whimpered on the ground before her. The crimson and black robes she wore simmered with smoke. They were tattered in many places and her veil had fallen away. Her lightsaber had fallen to the ground. The shell was scorched now. The Sith etchings and designs that had been carved into it were indistinguishable from one another. Shards of red crystal littered the ground around the weapon.

"Shall we let her go now, my love?" Mical Tarde whispered into Mina's ear softly. She reached up behind her and slid her hand along his neck. It found its way through his white hair and wrapped around his skull. 

"No," she replied. "I want to see you hurt her."

Mical shrugged and lifted one of his hands. Sparks crackled at the tips of his fingers. Bolts of bronze electricity engulfed his victim. Her body shuddered violently, but she forced herself not to cry out. Visas would not give Mina the satisfaction of seeing her scream. Besides, the Dark Lady had personally tortured her before in the past. Compared to that, Mical's attempts weren't so bad.

"Beg for mercy," Mina ordered.

"I am a Sith Lord," Visas said as she forced herself to look up at her master. "I do not beg!"

"Beg before me!" Mina screamed. The Force exploded towards Visas. She was flung into the brick walls, causing many of them to break. She dropped down to the ground and slumped over.

"Do as your master commands!" Mical ordered as he used the Force to draw Visas's very life energy away from her.

Mina turned her head so that she was facing Mical's neck. She began to nibble at his earlobe, causing him to grin. "Leave us!" He ordered.

Visas nodded. She stood up as quickly as possible, though it caused her a great deal of pain, and fled the room.

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The door to her master's personal chambers opened and Kit Tara's head shot towards it. Visas Marr stumbled out of the room and collapsed on the ground just outside the door. She writhed in pain and began to shiver. The Sith Lady approached the fallen Miraluka, causing all of the Sith that had stopped to stare away. She pulled Visas to her feet and pulled her arm around her shoulder.

Visas groaned as her lover guided her through the halls of the former Jedi Academy. She was completely unaware of where she was being taken. More than likely, Kit would take her back to one of their bedrooms where they could be alone. This was not the first time that Kit had been forced to sit by whilst her master tortured the woman she loved. It was always the same. Mina and occasionally Mical would hurt her. She would crawl from the room with less than an inch of her life intact. Kit would take her back to the room, heal her, and give her comfort. It had been this way for centuries now. Neither of them could see away to change it. Mina was too powerful to be fought. There was only one other in the galaxy who could challenge her.

"Kit," Visas whispered once she was sitting on her lover's bed. The other Sith was in the fresher, one room over, preparing the drugs that would null the Miraluka's pain. She came back into the room with a syringe in her hand and walked up to the blind Sith. She gave her a look of acknowledgment, urging Visas to continue as she drew up the Miraluka's sleeve. It took her a moment to find the vein and inject the meds, during which time Visas was silent. Once the needle was out, she began. "I can't continue like this," she murmured.

"Shhh," Kit whispered as she cradled Visas in her arms. She pulled the other Sith apprentice close, allowing the Miralukla's head to rest on her bosom. "It'll be alright. We'll find a way soon."

"Soon? I may not be alive much longer."

"Don't say that!" Kit ordered. "Mina will have to kill me before I let her touch you."

Visas looked up at her. Though her eyes were closed, Kit could still see the obvious expression on her face. "You cannot stop Mina by yourself. We need help."

"There is no one," the young looking woman complained. Visas stood up, breaking away from Kit's embrace. She walked over to the medical table that stood by her wall and picked up a pack of bacta patches. The Miraluka shed her robes before her lover. Kit turned away. Visas was a beautiful woman and her form was perfect. Her body had been toned into a wonderful shape by four thousand years worth of training, yet there was a flaw. The Miraluka's pale white skin was adorned with countless scars. Various types covered her from head to toe. Mina had mutilated her body in every way possible since they had met. Some of the wounds were fresh. Blood still oozed from a cut on her shoulder and there were several marks indicating where the tendrils of Force lightning had struck her.

"Then I would rather die than be forced to endure torture such as this for all eternity!"

"Stop it!" Kit snapped. "For every pain Mina has inflicted on you, I have bestowed pleasure ten fold!"

The Miraluka grinned. "You have no idea what you're talking about. Even as you and I have gone to bed with one another, I have feared that woman. I have felt you asleep in my arms, while I lie awake in terror that she will discover us! The happiness we should feel is hindered by fear of a woman we have both come to hate!" Kit stared at her lover dumbfounded. She had never seen this side of the woman and it was rather surprising, considering the fact that she rarely displayed any outward emotions.

"There is nothing we can do! Even if we were both to attack her together, we would be killed!"

"I'm not saying we fight her. We need help and there are people would."

"Who?" Kit demanded as she stood up. "The Republic or Alliance or whatever you want to call it? The Independence who is sending a ship to come kill us? The Jedi?" Visas was silent and looked into Kit's acid colored eyes. "No!" Kit screamed. "The Jedi? Are you out of your mind?"

Visas began to redress herself quickly without a word. Kit stood up and put her hands on the Miraluka's shoulder. "Listen to me," she said soothingly.

The Miraluka knocked her hands away and pulled her veil back on. She stalked towards the door. Kit went after her and forced her to turn around. Visas growled angrily and slapped her girlfriend clean across the face. "Don't touch me!" She ordered. The Miraluka gathered the Force into her hands and flung it at the Sith apprentice. Kit was thrown backwards and crashed into the dressed, which collapsed and fell on top of her. Kit was buried beneath the splintered wreckage of the furniture piece. Visas hesitated a moment, guilt causing her to stop. Her fist clenched and she forced herself to turn away, praying that she had not hurt Kit.

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The door to Kit Tara's bedroom slid open and two Sith Lords entered the room. The first was Mina and the other Mical. The male Sith surveyed the scene and saw the wreckage at the other end of the room, but there were no other signs of struggle. "She's under there," he pointed out.

Mina walked towards the spot where her fallen apprentice lay, using the Force to fling the wooden remains away. She saw Kit lying face up on the ground, paler than usual. Her face was covered in her own blood and a wooden stake had pierced her stomach. She was between consciousnesses. Her master sighed wearily before she wrenched the stake out. The pain brought Kit around. She howled in agony, causing Mical to smile in the back of the room.

Mina tapped the wound with a healing hand. The flesh instantly began to repair itself at a remarkable speed. Within moments, Kit was healed and the pain was gone. She sat up and looked around. Recognizing Mina, she instantly began to panic.

"What happened?" Mical demanded.

"I was attacked," she muttered as she stood up.

"By whom," the older Sith Lord urged.

Kit clenched her fist and stormed out of the room, completely ignoring her superiors. She walked out into the main hall of the Korriban academy, where numerous Sith had gathered. She looked about, searching for Visas. She was relieved to see that the Miraluka was not nearby, but angered all the same. Mina and Mical had followed her and were watching her scan the contents of the crowd.

"Who attacked you?" Mical repeated.

Kit selected a dark skinned Sith who was in the middle of a duel with a younger student. The balding man was wielding a double-bladed saber and was playing games with his opponent. The younger woman could barely stop the sweeping Force of his attacks with her vibroblade.

Kit stormed into the midst of the duel and hurled the girl away with the Force. She had removed her arm blades when she had been nursing Visas, but it was of no consequence. The Sith apprentice laid her hands on the Sith warrior's lightsaber and using augmented strength, wrenched it from his hands. A flurry of swift sweeps with the saberstaff ended the dark man's life.

She threw down the saberstaff and looked around the room. Everyone was staring at her with somewhat wide eyes, except for Mina who remained impassive. "Is there any particular reason you felt the need to kill one of my top warlords?" The Dark Lady inquired as she came up to her apprentice.

"These children," she gestured at every Sith in the room, some of them being older than her. "need to be taught the consequences of failing to execute someone as powerful as me."

"Ulrich attacked you?" Mina sounded surprised as she looked at the dead Sith's body. "I would have thought him smarter."

"So would I," Kit agreed absently. "Now, I have work to do."

"Just a question before you do," Mina interrupted. "Did you order the Miraluka to leave Korriban?"

Kit gasped, causing Mina to raise an eyebrow. The Sith apprentice realized her mistake and shook her head. "She'll ruin everything!"

"She's your responsibility now," Mical said with a snicker. "Find her and stop her!"

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**269 ABY – Dantooine – Jedi Enclave**

"What's going on?" Elaine Skywalker whispered to her friend, Arren Tay'nal, as she came up to the back of a crowd of gathered Jedi outside of the courtyard where the Jedi Council of the Old Republic once convened.

Arren, a girl in her early twenties with shimmering blond hair and bright green eyes turned to her friend with a worried expression. "A starfighter just landed in the coliseum," she replied. "The pilot claims that she knows who orchestrated the attack."

Elaine's eyes widened as she looked at her friend. "What are the masters doing?"

"They've locked themselves away out in the old council courtyard with her. She's a dark Jedi!"

"Dark Jedi?" The Jedi Knight repeated. "Why is the council trusting her?"

"Your mother performed a mind meld. They say she can be trusted," the younger knight replied.

Elaine unconsciously reached down and touched the spot where her skin had been penetrated by a blaster bolt. There was still a large scorch mark where she had been hit and it pained her daily. A feeling of resentment began to well up inside of her. "Make way!" She ordered.

The wounded Jedi began to shove and push through the crowd, receiving several rude comments in the process until she reached the door. It was locked, but she didn't care. She grabbed a lightsaber from a nearby student, her own weapon having been destroyed in the attack, and pierced the stone door where the lock met. Once the seal was broken, the door slid open and she stormed into the room. She saw her mother and three other Jedi Masters standing in front of the dark Jedi Arren had told her of. The veiled woman turned to see what was going on. She was surprised when the Jedi attempted to bring her lightsaber down on her in a large sweeping motion.

"Elaine!" Master Kol screamed.

Jade Skywalker was the only one fast enough to react. She drew her own lightsaber and intercepted her daughter's path. The dark Jedi had regained her composition and no longer seemed to be in the least bit unnerved by the attempt on her life. All that was visible of her face was her ashen lips and white skinned jaw, but her mouth gave no indication of surprise. Jade Skywalker on the other hand seemed furious. "What are you doing?" She cried angrily. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Have you?" Elaine demanded. The knight broke the grapple with her mother, pulling her borrowed green saber away, but keeping it held firm. Her mother however seemed to feel confident enough to close hers down. Elaine was now distinctly aware that the entire mass of gathered Jedi had moved into the room and all eyes were on her. It was a tad stressful. Nonetheless, she held to her belief and stated her opinion. "Look at this woman!" She cried. "Can you not feel the dark side that radiates within her? Are you so blind?"

"Do not criticize this council," Master Kol Cade ordered as he approached her angrily.

"Elaine," Master Illendy, a female Cathar said as she approached. "What is bothering you? This woman can help us find our missing padawans!"

"It's a trap! Why would a dark Jedi help this order? Have you forgotten our history? Have you forgotten how we exiled the first of the dark Jedi? Have you forgotten how they bred with the ancient Sith, spawning an empire of terrible power. Has it slipped your memories that you millennia, the dark Jedi and the Sith have been bent on the destruction of our order? Have the acts of Darth Sidious and Darth Krayt really been forgotten in such a short time?" Elaine raged on moving the minds of several students behind her, but the masters remained firm in their decision.

"There are hundreds of Jedi missing, young lady!" Jade snapped at her daughter. "You do not know why this Sith would help us, but we do!" The Jedi Master noticed the amazed look on her daughter's face. "Yes, Sith! She is of the Sith, yet this council feels that she may be trusted. Will you question our decision?"

"Yes," Elaine snapped.

That answered shocked everyone. Eyes widened. Jaws dropped. The most respected and high ranked Jedi Knight in the enclave was not only disagreeing with the council, but openly intervening in their affairs. Elaine's hard amethyst eyes met her mother's emerald ones. There was a pleading look to each other in both their eyes, but neither would give ground.

Finally, the Sith woman stepped forward. "Master Skywalker, allow me," she requested calmly.

"Stay out of this!" Elaine sneered, brandishing the borrowed lightsaber.

The veiled Sith raised her hands to indicate that she was at the Jedi's mercy. "I am surrounded by three Jedi Masters and the most gifted swordswoman in the galaxy. Listen to my words, for I am no threat to you."

Elaine couldn't argue with the logic in that statement. "Kol, Illendy, the students," Jade warned.

Kol Cade turned to face the myriad of faces that were staring at the council with burning curiosity. "This is a matter of the Jedi Council. If any others wish to disobey our orders and risk expulsion from the order, you may stay. Otherwise, return to quarters and do not leave until further notice is given.

Elaine watched as all of the Jedi filed away and proceeded towards their rooms. Only one Jedi remained; a dark skinned girl in her late teens. She stayed unsurely and refused to meet anyone's glance.

"Padawan Dorme?" Kol said with an angered tone.

"No Master Kol, it's not that. It's just…" she trailed off and glanced at Elaine, somewhat frightened by the harsh gaze that she was now facing.

"Elaine," Jade said firmly. "Return her lightsaber."

Elaine looked down at the weapon and tightened her grasp on it. She needed to be able to defend herself. This could be exactly what the Sith woman wanted. Disarming her would end all threat. On the other hand though, withholding the weapon was against her moral code. She had forged a strong bond with her own lightsaber and was devastated to find it destroyed. She had no right to force that feeling onto another.

"Fine," she sighed as she closed down the weapon. She threw the weapon to its owner who caught it deftly. "Get out!" Dorme fled the room, leaving the three masters, the Jedi Knight, and the Sith alone. "Speak you peace."

The Sith woman nodded. "My name is Visas Marr," she began. "I was born on the planet of Katarr in a small settlement of the Miraluka people. You've probably never heard of them, for I am the last of there kind. We were wiped out nearly four thousand years ago by the Sith."

"So you joined the ones who killed you," Elaine muttered.

"Elaine," her mother snapped.

"You don't know just how right you are, Jedi," the Miraluka replied. "You clearly misunderstood me. I am not the last descendent of a dying race. I am only survivor of a massacre that took place more than four millennia ago."

Everyone raised an eyebrow, bidding for an explanation. "I was seventeen when it happened. My life had known little peace. I was betrothed to a man by my family who repulsed me, but in retrospect it shouldn't have been a concern. The day of our wedding, he came."

"Who?" Elaine asked.

"Darth Nihilus," she replied.

Everyone in the room exchanged glances, but none of them seemed to recognize the name. "Records were probably purged when Sidious took over the Republic," Jade explained. "Please, continue."

"Darth Nihilus was an abomination to the Force," she went on. "I am sure you have heard of the Mandalorian Wars." They all nodded. "Darth Nihilus was one of the Jedi who betrayed the Jedi and went to war. As the Mass Shadow Generator was about to consume the planet of Malachor V, he used the Force to raise a fallen warship into space and escape the blast. The hole in the Force that was created when the planet died caused him to go insane. He began to hunger for the Force, causing him to drain it out of other sentient beings, which led him to my planet. My people were all sensitive to the Force and there was a secret conclave of Jedi Masters gathering there. He drained the life out of my planet and killed everyone… except me."

"Why?"

"A Force bond formed between us. He could not kill me without destroying himself. I was tortured by it for years. Then one day we felt something; a disturbance in the Force. I was sent to investigate and discovered a woman who had been exiled from the Jedi Order. She spared my life and took me as one of several apprentices. I served her loyally, even betraying my old master and slaying him for her. Once the Jedi who had exiled my master were dead, along with the Sith who hunted her, she began to focus on her own ambition. Our crew went into unknown space and hunted. In time, we found a giant space station where the dark side was strong. The technology aboard this craft surpasses any that I have seen since."

"What was it?" Elaine asked.

"It's called the Star Forge," she replied. "It had belonged to an ancient race of galactic conquerors of the Rakatan Empire. My master decided to take it for ourselves. Something happened though; something my master had not expected. The Star Forge was inhabited by Sith whom she recognized. They had served with her in the Mandalorian Wars and the man who controlled everything had been her master before the war ended. His name was Darth Revan."

"I've heard the name," Kol interjected. "He vanished at the height of his power. No one knows what happened to him or how he died."

"He didn't die," Visas replied. "Revan is still alive. The Star Forge granted us immunity to the passage of time. I have not aged in over four thousand years, nor have any of the Sith who have visited the Forge."

"That's impossible," Elaine barked.

"It's true. We have spent four thousand years building up our strength and becoming stronger. While our ability to actually become even more powerful in the Force than we are had become limited, our resources and numbers have never been greater."

"Becoming stronger in the Force has become limited?"

"An organic body can only sustain so much Force energy. Our bodies began to reject more power long ago, but we are still the most powerful Force users in the galaxy."

"So believe yourselves to be the greatest and most powerful? Then why come to us?"

Visas sighed and shook her head. "Because power isn't what I want anymore."

"What is?"

"Freedom," she replied simply. "My master has found satisfaction and pleasure in torturing me for the last four thousand years. Pain brings her joy and I had been the scapegoat she uses."

"It took four thousand years for you to understand that you don't like being hurt?"

"Mind yourself, Elaine," Jade ordered.

"Something changed recently," Visas replied. "My master took on an official apprentice nearly three thousand years ago. She is an amazing woman and incredibly powerful but she wants her freedom as I do. The Sith need to be destroyed in order for us to be at peace."

"So you have support?" Kol asked for clarification.

Did she? Visas wondered to herself if she did. She had attacked Kit in an open act of rage. Could she be forgiven? Could Kit put that aside and join her? Was their love for one another that strong?

"Your apprentices are being kept on Nar Shadda. My master has systematically bought the entire moon. They're in the warehouse district, barely alive. They are tortured daily and it is likely that some have already succumbed to the dark side. Two Jedi were sent elsewhere though. They were knights taken from this very enclave. They are on Rakata Prime, where the Star Forge was built."

"Jacen and Rouge!" Elaine gasped.

"Are they alright?" Jade cried.

"I have had no word on the Jedi captured during the attack since the initial reports. All I know is that they're alive and where they were taken. Knowing the man who is running Nar Shadda, their stay has not been pleasant."

"Mother," Elaine interjected. "How do we know that this woman tells the truth? We need proof before we act!"

"This is a matter we must discuss," Jade agreed. "Masters, will you please confine her to quarters until we have reached a decision. My daughter and I need to speak with one another alone."

The two other Jedi Masters nodded and turned to Visas. The Miraluka nodded and followed the two of them out of the room, leaving Elaine and her mother alone together. The two Skywalkers locked eyes and stared at each other angrily.

"You are unbelievable!" they roared at one another.


End file.
